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Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky
MILK & HONE ?Y

he Land of Israel is praised in since both honey and fig nectar are Noting this, he proclaimed that this is
various ways in the Bible. One the sweet products of fruit, and often- “Eretz zavat chalav uDevash.” So too,
Tof the most popular phrases is times devash in the Bible refers to any Rav Yaakov ben Dostai reported walk-
“Eretz zavat chalav uDevash” – a land fruit extract. And chalav, Rav Mar- ing from Lod to Ono ankle-deep in fig
flowing with milk and honey. golis boldly suggests, is white wine, honey.
not the product of an animal’s udder.
Most commentators understand that Rav Margolis cites the Targum to Shir Bee’s honey or date honey, cow’s milk,
the ambiguous term devash refers HaShirim 5:1, where chalav is trans- goat’s milk or white wine, the Torah
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to date honey – a fruit extract. Why lated as white wine and demonstrates praises the Land for the natural fer-
does the Torah praise the Land for its that in other contexts such a trans- tility that exists when the Jews dwell
date honey and not for its dates? This lation makes sense as well. Hence, there. “Eretz chalav uDevash” refers to
is most likely because dates in Eretz to Rav Margolis, when stating “Eretz the commingling of animal products
Yisrael are primarily valued for their chalav uDevash,” the Torah is praising and vegetation, of herders and farm-
abundance of honey. the Land of Israel as a land of grape ers. The images conjured by “zavat

However, there are places in Tanach and fig (products). Grapes and figs are chalav uDevash” did not only serve to
“convince” the Jews of the goodness
where devash clearly refers to bee’s also the first fruits of the Seven Spe- of the Land prior to their arrival, but
honey. cies. Rav Margolis’s interpretation is are, in fact, reflective of the Land’s
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also consistent with the statement the
Rashi notes that all Biblical devash is spies made upon their return from the productivity.
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date honey. On the other hand, She’ei- Land: “We arrived at the Land... and In the Al HaMichya prayer, we
lot Uteshuvot Radvaz suggests that indeed it flows with milk and honey, beseech G-d to let us eat from the
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devash in Tanach can refer to either and this is its fruit.” Perhaps the ref- fruits of the Land and enjoy their
date honey or bee’s honey, while in erence to “milk and honey” was to the goodness. May we all be privileged to
rabbinic literature, it is always bee’s grapes and figs the Torah records the do so!
honey. Thus, according to Radvaz, in spies brought back with them.
the phrase “Eretz zavat chalav uDe- Adapted with permission from Jewish Action,
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vash,” the image of flowing honey can The Talmud relates that Reish Lakish the magazine of the Orthodox Union (winter
be either that of honeycombs melting said: “I saw the milk and honey flow- 2005).
in the hot Mediterranean sun or, as ing near Tzippori and it was 16 mil by
most of the commentators understand 16 mil. … Rabbah bar bar Chanah said
it, dates or figs dripping nectar. in the name of Rav Yochanan that he 1 Rashi to Shemot 13:5 and Devarim 26:2,
saw the milk and honey of the entire based on the Sifri, notes this. This is also
In the Bible, milk usually refers to Land of Israel and it was 22 parsa long clearly the understanding of the Talmud in
Berachot 41b. Targum Yonatan to Devarim
that of either a goat or a cow. Rav by six parsa wide.” 8:8 translates devash as “dates that make
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Reuven Margolis was troubled by sev- honey.”
eral points: the inclusion of an animal Commenting on this, Rashi paints 2 See Shoftim 14:8, Tehillim 19:11 and
product in a list of agricultural prod- a picture of milk-laden goats eating Yeshayahu 7:22.
ucts; the juxtaposition of milk and lush dates that drip honey. The honey 3 Berachot 41b.
honey, a combination found nowhere mixes with milk flowing from the 4 962.
else in Tanach; the inclusion of date goats and forms into a kind of stream. 5 See Devarim 32:14, Mishlei 27:27 and
Yeshayahu 7:21-22.
honey, the last of the Seven Species, This is based on another Talmudic 6 Hamikra Vehamesorah (Jerusalem, 5749),
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and the absence of wine in the praise. passage that states that Rami ben 62-64.
He notes that a more usual pairing in Yechezkel traveled to Bnei Brak, where 7 Megillah 6a.
Tanach is wine (grapes) and figs. His he saw goats eating under fig trees. 8 Ketubot 111b.
creative proposal is that devash refers The fig honey dripped from the trees Rabbi Ari Z. Zivotofsky is a Professor of
not to date honey but to fig nectar. while milk dripped from the goats, Neuroscience as well as a tour guide in Ir
This suggestion is not so farfetched and the two ingredients mingled. David
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